Cotton-picker cylinder



N1 PETERSl PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTONy D CA i narran srATns 'PATENT JAMES PITTS, OF LANCASTER, MASSACHUSETTS. j

COTTON-PICKER CYLINDER.'

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom t 'may concern Be it known that I, Jaulas Prrrs, of Lancaster, in the county of Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Picker Cyl-- inders, and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, figures, let-ters, and references thereof.

Of the said drawings'Figure 1, denotes an end view of that part of a cotton picker, to which the lap cylinders are applied. Fig. 2, is a view of the other end of the same. Fig. 3, is a vertical and central transverse section of it. Fig. 4, is a vertical and longitudinal sect-ion if it. Fig. 5, is a side view of one of the cylinders o-n an enlarged scale.

In the said drawings, A and B denote the two lap forming 'cylinders against the outer surface of which the loose cotton is thrown, and by which during the revolution of the two cylinders inthe directions denoted by the arrows in the drawings, it is formed into a thin sheet or lap.

C, denotes the shrouding or set of lags, and, D, the frame for supporting the cylinders 'and lags.

The two cylinders are made of cast iron or other pro-per metal, and are formed with large tubular journals, E, F, E, F, projecting respectively from their two ends. On the two journals, F, F', gears H, I, are placed and made to engage with each other, such journals being made with openings large enough to freely allow a person to pass his hand and arm through them and into the interior of their respective cylinders, in order to enable him to remove while the cylinders may be in rotation or still, any surplus cotton that may have collected within them.

In the use of these cylinders, the tunnel or pipe of an air exhausting wheel orv apparatus is to be applied to each of the other journals of the cylinders, so as to cause currents of air to pass through the perforated sides of the cylinders, and into the cylinders and out through the said journals; such currents, as is well known, cause the filaments of the cotton, or fibrous material to plank themselves on the external surfaces of the cylinders. In the manufacture of such cylinders, or cylinder screens, as they are usually termed, as have been in general use be- 10,578, dated Februaryas,4 i854.

forethe dat-e of my invention, `they have been commonly made with arms and bars, for lsupporting a wire or wire gauze covering. Around or on these arms as well as the bars, the cotton filaments become more or less packed, and to such extent as to constantly injuriously affect the operations of the machine. Besides, the wiresv composing ythe wire covering, have been of such small diameter or diameters that filaments of cotton or the fibrous material would lappentirely around them and becomematted or tied together at their two ends. The length of the staple of cotton varies somewhat, it being generally speaking about one inch and one eighth or one quarter in length.i The clogging of the meshes or air passages between the wires, by the embracing of the wires by the cotton in such manner, isa source of great trouble in the operation'of the cylinders, and it is to overcome this evil,A that I construct my cylinders in the improved manner, in which I shall now proceed to describe They are made of cast iron and hollow and perforated with holes as seen at a, a, a, Svc., the thickness of the metal and the ydistance between any two holes neXt adjacent to each other, being made equal to or generally greater than the length of the staple of the cotton or fibrous material to be picked by them. When this is the case, the periphery'of the metal intervening between any two orificesnext adjacent to each other, being equal to or greater than the length of the fiber, such fiber can in no way so wind around such, as to lap ork, tie its two ends, in such manner as to fasten it to the metal. Consequently, when a cylin-l der is so made, it has been found in practice, that the bers rarely if ever clog the air passages. Besides this, by using the hollow perforated cast metal cylinder, made vwith hollow journals, we entirely dispense with the support bars and arms, which operate so much to clog the air passages.

Vhat therefore I claim as my invention is as follows, viz:

1. I claim as my improvement in the cotton picker cylindric screen; the constructing the screen sov that the periphery of the metal intervening between any two immediatelyV Vadjacent orifices shall be of a length'equal the said periphery and beeome connected,

attached or tied by its ends as stated.

2. I also claim` the improvement of. constructing the cylinder screen of a hollow perforated metal cylinder without arms or ribs, and with open hollow cylindrio journels at its two ends, as stated, in order that the cotton may be drawn out of one journal by the suction draft and any obstruction removed by a persons hand and arm intro- 10 duced through the other journal as specified. In testimony whereof I have' hereto set my signature, this twenty-rst day of February, A. D. 1853.

' JAMES PITTS. Witnesses:

S. H. TURNER, W. S. THURSTON. 

